Auto thriller and amusement apparatus



Dec. 16, 1930. H ocKs. JR 1,785,353

AUTO THRILLER AND AMUSEMENT APPARATUS Filed May 1 1929 5 sheets sheet 1 lllllllllillilllllllll I gwuwntot Harry Rocks Jr: J j I Dec. 16, 1930. H. ROCKS, JR

AUTO THRILLER AND AMUSEMENT APPARATUS Z5 Sheets-Sheet' 2 Filed May 14, 1929 N 3mm fiar/y Racks J1:

Dec. 16, 1930. I H. ROCKS, JR I I 1,785,363

AUTO THRILLER AND AMUSEMENT APPARATUS I 21m [1291a Y Hal/"1y Rocks J/t' 20 thatftrawersesthe apparatus, 11

1 Patented Dec. 16,1936

i i l ie g imbsm sumo rumpus-Ann Amus'nlizinnrnrrsnhtrus I Apnliqatio'n filed "May 1141 Thisinnention relates tosautolthrillers-and amusement ,apparatusand,ingeneral, an ject ofv-ithe invention is to provide an; appai ratus ot thisttype that @has a high degree of v Q safety-and that; at thesametime, Willi aflord f 1 runway; will of itselfproducera wave-like m tioni afiectin gg theaautoinobile thatfltrayersesj; i u ys -i Another; object-is to make provision for the operationof soundv producers andfo'npro;-

duotionof visible signals, by-;-the automobile Otherob 'ects and; adt ntages ,.Wi1l appear? in: the subjoined detailed description] Theacco inventiong I Figure 1 is .1 a; plan iyiewof an} apparatus constructed in, accordancewith the provisions of this-vinventionis L i I i 1 Figure; 2.;is; a front; elevation of Figure ;1.' w Eigurefi is anv enlarged jvertical section; on ithelineindicated by 3+3, Eigure;2.,fl= I F. igure 4 is an enlarged vertical wiewgpa rt ly in section; viewedfrom: by-HyFigurefi -j r; q Figure :15 is an-enlarged fragment'al-ltangi. 1 section onthe line indicated by-5;\5;

the line indicated tud-ina Figured, V s

, Figure 6 is an. enlarged yertical se'ctionuontheilineiindieatedby}6 6,-Figure 5. r

5 Figure'7' is anenlar one of the switches. i i

l Figure- 8, issa. large fragmental- View; partly in section of onewportiomof-the apparatus that lcontrolsone; of thesWitches,..theiewr :being. ak'en: on (the:=lineifindicated 'bYITS-r-8, Figure 9.; I I w Eigure9 -is jaivertic gedisectionalaldetail bi al View; mainlyin Sec- 'tion on the line-indicated by;9'j-9 Figure 8:

Figure; 1(5) is aifragmental plan" view, showing a portioni of'ltheru nWa switch operating member.

POrfie drby ariframebwork 27 929'. j Serial mijea sss;

Figure? '11 .iSi a fragmental i'longitudinal ection illustrating: a yielding section' of therunway-:3} Y A i J l Figure l2is an-enlarged view ofap'ortionof Figure 11 to better show the construction,

solid lines indicating the position of ther'un way withouti a load I imposed thereon and:

broken" neslindicating 'said: runway =as:de-v fie'ctedgbyzazlo adpassingthereoven Fdgnre 13 is i an. enlarged vertical vie partly; ine section iv; on, the li ne: indicatedby' r I Referring? to: ithedl awin'gsi here n pro- 1 vided: ial nunvya indicated in generatlnzbYt-thd character:16;fs a1d%runway; in this-instance,

comprising" two p oosedfcomplimen-tai'y'sections @171 and: an: intermediate: section: :18 spaced fiiomrthessections 17 theispaces being; 7

indicated at: 19;: and? said; spaces providing 1 earth roadr 'surfaces for: passage ofithe' auto m0biles.-rom: one sectionilto: the section '18 i iandrefrom said'rsection l8tothe otherisection nipanyin'g: draw'mgsfllustratethe -s;lh t fitiQLandgPinthiSinstance; at zleast "some of the hill-sane of5di1fenentsizes-. ..i In one instance; cf hee'da'leiifiL dipsx-belowz the] surface of the v to insure; agvaii'nstrrautomobiles"ltraversingi the 1 runway running-oft: the-same: "l he runWay' comprisescrross members .QG'Which mayEbe 0011-.

' structedgofr Wood Eon any othersuitable ,f-inate-l' rria lzandisaiid crossrmembers are suitably sup- There 1 is shown in detail in-Figures 10 an stafnce; amumbr of cables 28 (intl is-instance,

27', g saidcables; in this instance; being at one cables: area mountedrZa "number 0fcross-men1'- bers 2fiwliioh'are secured toth'e cables by uf' i .bolts29sortheiraiequivalentsr The-crossni'emg y provided-wylthiag bers-26arespaed somewhat fromione' another m (illfaapreferredicoiistruction ifor the' run-way .0r,";at*tleast3: i a portionthereof? In this in- :ofthev'hillportionsofthe runway." On-these' so as to permit flexing. of the cables, as in- 1 broken lines in Figure l2. The

' cables are anchored at their opposite-ends to shown in Figure 12.

At any desired intervals certain of the cross members are secured at one end only and the other 1 end is left free, as indicate at:

free end of each of saidlcrossmembers' 26th'at is loose at one end is' held againstupward,

32, to permit of sliding of said end uponthe supportingcable or other member 28 The I movement, so as to beina in't'ained flush with" :endwise when said loose members 26 are bentfi d ".1 W

which has its intermediate portion 'elxtending over thelooseimember26and has its end po'rtions 1extending;beneath .theadjacent cross. members 26, as clearly shown in Figure 4. These .clipsf33}permit the free ends to.- slide ;At some suitable intermediate :poinuleach of the loose members 26 isyieldingly. sup

The; under face of eachflof 'the; loose members 26: is lprovided'withan' electric contact 36.

'"radaptedto co-operate withgia stationary. elec-,

- tric contacti37 mountedon oneof a number.

of supporting members38 which memberv is interposed between the frame 27- and the loose" member 26, saidsupporting members 38.being provided r with holes 39 to accommodate the springs 34 and bolts 35. :Sincethe end poiu tions of the loose members 26 are held against thus bowed the loose members 26 have their upper. faces above :thelevel ofthe upper faces of the nextiadjacent fixed cross-members 26:. r

7 As clearly in Figure 9, the contact 36 is connected by a, wire 40 to a suitable source 5U 41ofelectric current, whichasource, inturn,

is connected bye'a wire. 42' to an" electrically actuatedsignal: 43 of any suitable construe- 7 v to secure the same-effect as produced byrid 44 to the contact 37 The signal 43 maybe eitherlone that is visible. to theeye 'or'one that makes a sound, and the} signal illustrated inrFigure 9; is of the latter mentioned type,

tion. :The signal'43 is connected b'y a wire whereas there are illustrated in Figure 5 In. this. particular;instancefthe lamps -43 other signals 43 that produceavisible eifecti and which a're'in the form of electric lamps.

"Thus, the contacts of different switches may be connected with difi'erentkinds ofsignals-s01 I V V pber, a'stationarily.mounted"electric contact" as to produce a variety of effects as the automobile traverses therunway from end to end.

are mounted'on the side walls of a shed 45 that covers a portionj'of the runway. If desired, otherlamps 46 maybe mounted beneath the roof of the shedand permanently lighted for properly illuminatingthe shed.

The lamps 43 may be colored or may be of different colors. a

:The construction andopieration; ofvthe invention will be readily understood from the o-foregoing "description and, briefly stated, the

operation as follows;

v automible will drive onto-the runway at theentrance 23 and will b p traverse said runway at asafespeed' as, for the other cross members ;b 5a U-stra 33."

vehicles springs, will be given an easy up-I and-down motion that" maybe more or less rythmica l, depending upon the spacing of the hills and "dales and speed of the automobile;

' When the automobile'rides upon the portion orportions of the runway'supported by cables, v p 7 =-the runway willv yiel-d 'somewhat'under the. ported in raised-posit on by coll spr1ngs 34' awhich surround bolts 35 thatconnect the loose ,inembers 26with. the frame. 27-andzthat limit upward movement of the loose members 26.

weigh? imposed on itand this wave-like 'efiectwill rogress with'the'automobilel As the' automooile crossesthe various loose members 2 6 of the runway',the different switches will be closed and there will be pproducedan effect {that depends upbmthe" character of" -the"'ie'lec'trically operated Idevioeconnected x than'the' other ends of s'aid secti'onsf 17, thus causing thesections 1-7:to converge tow'ard" the entrance 'jand eziitfi This" tends to cause the motorists. coming from the runway to drive'fthein cars toward the: entrance, thus leading them-to repeat the ride overtherunway. The repetition of the Vridei'isfurther encouraged by reaso'njoftheouter rai-ls 25 extending past the inner rails- 25, and said ward one another; Them'embers '38 constituting'stringers of the frame 27 are preferably supported at such intervals as] {to-permit "of said stringers fl'eX- ing somewhat under theweight of the auto 10b. or

no inner rails have "portions- 4'1: that project to} mobile and its passengers so as, in a measure,

ratuscoinprising a hill and dale runway for] automobiles, said "runway including cross members, one *of sa d cross members belng movably mounted, an electric contact connected with the mo my mounted cross memeng'ageabl'e :by the fi'rst' mentioned electric contact, when the movably mounted cro s" member is depressed, and an electrically opf 'erated signal electrically connected with said contacts.

electrically connected with the respective dinallyextending stringers supported at such intervals astopermitof flexure of the stringers under the weight of an automobile and its passengers, and .saidrunway including in cross members mounted on said stringers.

Signed at Los day of May, 1929l switches, one of said signals operating to produce a sound and another of said signals producing a. visible signal, each of said switches being operable bydepression of'onef.

of the cross-members of the runway."

3. An auto thriller and amusement "apparatus comprising a hill and dale runway for automobiles, said runwayinclu'ding longi-f tudinally extending cables, anchors secur ng I a the opposite ends of the cables, a frame sup- 1 porting said cables, and cross members mounted on said cables for producing a. supporting surface for the automobile;

4. An auto thriller and amusement apparatus comprising a hill and dale runway for automobiles, including a movably mounted cross member, an electriccontactconnected1 with the under face of said crossmember, a o stationarily mounted electric contact adapted to be engaged by the first mentioned contact upon depression of said cross member, av

spring yieldingly supporting the crossmem ber between its ends, and an electrically operated signal electrically connected with saidcontacts. V a c. 5. An auto thriller and amusement apparatus comprising a hill anddale runway for lAngeles, Calii, this 3rd HARRY ROCKSQJR,

r automobiles, saidrunwayiincluding a cross 7 member held at its ends against upwardf movement, a means yieldingly bowing said .7

cross member upwardly, an electric contact connected wlth the under face of said cross member, a statlonarlly mounted electric contact engageable by the first mentioned contact upon depression of the upwardly bowed portion of the cross member, and an electrically operated signal electrically connected with said contacts.

6. An auto thrillerand amusement apparatus comprising 'a'frame,ja hill and dale runway for automobiles mounted on said frame, 7 Y

. said runway including a cross member fixed at one end to said frame and slidably supported at "its" other end to permit of.

[elongation of; said cross-member when de pressed, a spring yieldingly supporting-said H Lt-he first mentioned contact.upon'clepression contacts Vmember between its ends, an electric contact connected with the crossmember, a station-- arily mounted electric contact engageable (if-the cross membenand an 'eleotricallyop erated signal electrically connected with said,

7 An auto thriller" and amusement appaie ratus comprising a hill and dale runway for. 1 automobiles, the runway including longitus 

